Yoga Diet System For Losing Weight

Are you frustrated with searching for diet answers? Are there really any Yoga secrets for losing weight? How could low impact Hatha Yoga and a Sattvic diet really make a difference? Why has Yoga been successful in weight loss studies?

It should be understood that Yoga was never designed to be a weight loss system. When Yoga was first developed, approximately five thousand years ago, obesity was not the problem it is today.

On average, people did not live as long as we do. At the same time, people were much more physically active. We rely on machines, use computers, and sit much more than our ancestors did five thousand years ago.

So, where do we get this idea about Yoga and weight loss? The most common form of Yoga, outside of India, is Hatha and its many sub-styles. Hatha Yoga's approach to physical exercise is usually low impact movement, holding postures, or Yogic breathing techniques (pranayama).

From the outside looking in, Hatha Yoga doesn't seem to place much demand on the body - in comparison to running, cycling, or jumping rope. However, Yoga is not an exercise system. Yoga is a complete health maintenance system, which improves your mind, body, and emotional state.

Practitioners of Yoga tend to practice for decades without injuries. Much like anything else, it is possible to hurt yourself if you push too hard or force a pre-existing injury. Finding competent Yoga instruction is also important.

Yet, in comparison to any other physical activity, students of Yoga will practice for longevity. The reason is - Yoga becomes a lifestyle and it is fun to practice. It is not a dreaded chore to practice Yoga. In comparison, if you ask most people about standard forms of exercise, they will tell you they see exercise as torture.

This is the main reason why most people are physically inactive; they do not enjoy exercise or they find it boring. This is where Hatha Yoga has a big advantage over exercise systems. On top of that, there is a Yogic diet, which is also known as the Sattvic diet.

In a nutshell, the Sattvic diet is vegetarian and consists of natural or whole foods. Sometimes, people will find this eating boring, but let's try a different strategy. The next time you go shopping - do not try to make a big change all at once.

Introduce a few natural or whole foods for weekly meals. Reduce take-out meals and lower the consumption of meat - especially processed meat. By making a few small changes at a time, you will improve your life and the lives of your family members.

Giving family members the choice of processed food, beside natural or whole foods, will open their minds to new tastes. Gradual change is a natural part of life, while drastic change is something we sometimes accept.

There is no need to make your dinner table a source of conflict. Natural food is just another choice. This is one reason why researchers, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, saw positive dieting results from Yoga. A lifestyle you are comfortable with has less stress, anxiety, and frustration.

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Yoga Diet to Keep Your Body and Soul Healthy

Basically a Yoga Diet is a totally vegetarian diet. The spiritual reason behind it is the fact that people who practice yoga gain some consciousness of mind which does not allow them to eat meat of living beings. They practice kindness to all animals and lay emphasis on the benefits of vegetarian diet.

Yoga Diet has been able to stand the test of time and has been around for a number of years. It primarily consists of whole grains, cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits. Practicing it not only takes care of your health but also helps in rejuvenating your soul and spirit. Also it helps you to lose weight and remain healthy, thus making you feel better.

The main contents of a Yoga diet and the ways and means in which you can stay healthy with a yoga centered diet are discussed here.

As the yoga diet is typically a vegetarian diet without any meat or fish, the protein requirement of your body is taken care by the incorporation of beans and legumes in your diet. A good quantum of salads, sprouted beans, lentils, bean soups and dishes made from lentils and beans are instrumental in providing you the much needed protein intake. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt etc. are allowed and are helpful in providing energy to the body. Seasonal and organic vegetables are the main source of nutrition. Dishes such as curries, appetizers and entrees can be made out of such fresh vegetables.

Plenty of water intakes are recommended for a healthy mind and body. According to the prescription of a Yoga Diet, your body should get at least 2 liters of water everyday which may be consumed in the form of plain water or fruits and vegetable juices, nut milk, soy milk and other liquids. Mainly recommended food are those which can be digested easily such as juices, fruits, vegetables, milk, honey etc.

Foods which are difficult to digest must be avoided. The main concept of yoga is to keep your immune system in good shape and if you intake lots of heavily processed food which cannot be digested easily then the whole purpose of Yoga diet will be defeated. You should avoid consuming food made with white flour or white sugar and packaged food which are added with preservatives to keep them fresh for a longer period. This type of food can be detrimental to your health.

Yoga diets also prescribe that you must eat your food slowly and chew it properly before swallowing so that it can be digested easily. Fibrous foods and green leafy vegetables are most recommended for easy digestion.

If you follow a proper yoga diet and supplement it with yoga workouts, you are sure to stay fit and lose weight at earliest. This is also sure to reduce the chances of heart attack, kidney diseases, stroke and cancer. Meat lovers are more prone to cancer and heart attacks than those who follow a balanced vegetarian diet.

A well chalked out yoga diet provides all the necessary protein and minerals to your body and the yogic exercises practiced along with pure vegetarian diet provides you with spiritual rejuvenation thus making your body, soul and spirit work in the right union and yield positive results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roberto_Sedycias 

YOGA EXERCISES: Headstand, Quinoa, Port O'Brien

RELIEVE CHRONIC BACK PAIN WITH YOGA

  RELIEVE CHRONIC BACK PAIN WITH YOGA
         Many Poses Increase Flexibility, Improve Pain Relief

 If you have a chronic aching back or have recently suffered a back injury, you may think logging some time as a couch potato is the best remedy. But experts say the right approach to healing a sore back is over-the-counter medications including Tylenol or Advil and gentle exercise such as yoga. In fact certain types of yoga have proven to help back pain sufferers relieve chronic back pain and the anxiety that may go with it. Yoga releases muscle tension and can relieve stress on the spine while developing muscle strength at the same time.

ASSESS YOUR SITUATION
It’s always a good idea to check in with your physician before you start any new exercise program, including yoga. Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor may agree that a yoga workout can increase your back’s flexibility and relieve pain. But there may be poses that exacerbate the pain, so make sure to tell your yoga instructor about your back issues when you start a class, and stop doing anything that makes your pain worse. A good teacher will respond to your limitations or concerns with modifications and props such as blankets, blocks, and straps. You can sit on blankets during class if the floor is hard or cold. Blocks can be used for standing poses if your hands don’t reach the floor, and straps are helpful in a variety of standing poses.

THE BEST YOGA FOR BACK PAIN
There are many styles of yoga, ranging from energetic to calm and gentle, but balance and breathing are key to every type of yoga. Balance work stretches and strengthens the back and abdominal muscles, all of which can help an aching back, and proper breathing will help you relax. While all yoga focuses on body alignment and awareness, certain styles such as Bikram, Ashtanga, Kundalini or “power yoga,” are usually quite challenging and might not be appropriate for a sore back. Basic Hatha yoga is probably your best choice. Most Hatha classes are slow-paced and focus on stretching and basic poses, along with relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. If these classes begin to feel too easy you can always move on to a more vigorous style of yoga.

GOOD POSES FOR BACK PAIN
Even those who don’t practice yoga have heard of downward-facing dog, or down dog. It is a resting place between poses, and done correctly it can also build strength in your upper body as well as relieve back pain.

• 
  Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under hips. 
• 
  Curl your toes under and raise your hips while straightening your legs; your feet should be hips’ distance apart.  
• Spread your fingers on your matt, and move your shoulders back, away from your ears and toward your hips.  
• Continue raising your hips and tighten your thigh muscles to take the weight off your arms.  

• Shift your weight in this pose until you are comfortable.

Another pose that can ease a sore back is cobra. 

• Start in a plank position, exhale and lower yourself onto your belly. Rest your forehead down on your matt.
• Place your palms right under your shoulders at the breast line, inhale, and using the muscles of your lower back, press the tops of your feet into the floor and lift your upper chest off the floor only as high as feels right to you.  
• Exhale and lower your chest and head back onto your matt. 

A good yoga class and instructor will incorporate these and other poses that can help heal your back and provide you with a safe, healthy workout at the same time. 

Article Written By: Julie Mitchell; Julie is an accomplished writer from San Francisco who loves ballet, yoga, walking, cooking and reading. Her experience as a wife and mother of two lend to her articles and blogs for DivaVillage.com and VillageMAMA.com in the areas of wellness, fitness, beauty, parenting and food. 
 

   http://www.divavillage.com/article/id/44085

10 Steps from the Couch to the Yoga Mat

Physical fitness may seem challenging, but it does not take a lot to transform your body from being fat to fit. You don’t have to join an expensive gym, dedicate hours to running on a treadmill, buy tons of expensive equipment, or hire a fitness coach. Your body already has all the necessary tools to help it stay fit. Yoga can help you utilize these natural mechanisms and abilities, and help bring about a magical transformation in your life. A bit of determination, discipline, and knowledge is all it will take. So long as you have a serious desire to get in shape and improve your health there should be nothing to hold you back from achieving this goal. Unfortunately life isn’t as simple as we’d like it to be and although you may love the idea of being healthy and fit there may be several factors or concerns that are keeping you from this goal. Here are ten simple steps that should help you overcome your inhibitions, helping you across that bridge.

Why yoga?

Before you can actually dedicate yourself to doing something every day, you need to be absolutely sure that it is worth doing. Yoga is a form of fitness that was developed in ancient India thousands of years ago. In the last couple of decades, it has become increasingly popular in the West. This burgeoning popularity in itself is a testimonial to the effectiveness of yoga in promoting health. Recent medical studies corroborate what the ancient Indian mystics knew all along - yoga is one of the best forms of exercise for overall mental and physical fitness.

But I'm very unfit.

If you've not really been exercising on a regular basis, all the more reason to opt for yoga. The beauty of yoga is that unlike other forms of exercise, it lets you perform every exercise at your own pace. You don’t have to run faster or lift heavier weights when performing yoga. It is not a contest. Just listen to your body and do as much as you are comfortable doing.

I just don’t have the time.

Here’s the good news. Yoga is such an incredibly powerful tool for fitness that you can gain a wealth of benefits by performing yoga for even 10 minutes every day.

I don’t have cash to spare.

Probably the only thing cheaper than practicing yoga is taking a walk in the park. You don’t have to buy any fancy equipment or join an expensive gym to learn yoga. There are a number of yoga DVD’s available in the market that offer step-by-step lessons in how to perform yoga. Or better yet, just browse through the vast collection of videos devoted to teaching yoga on the Internet. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to avail of free yoga classes. Check at your nearest community center for details.

Pick a yoga mat. Or don’t pick one.

Just keep in mind that the majority of the yoga poses are performed in prone or seated positions. So it makes sense to perform them on a slightly padded surface. You can also use a spare mat or rug that you have lying at home. Just make sure that it doesn’t slip.

No special attire.

You don’t even need to go out and buy a new set of expensive workout clothes to practice yoga. All you need is some comfortable clothing that allows your skin to breathe.

Balance your meals and activities.

Avoid eating just before you practice yoga. Ideally yoga should be performed on an empty stomach. This is because it includes a lot of core conditioning exercises that place a lot of stress on your midsection.

Shut out the world.

Yoga is your time alone with your mind and your body. Don’t let the outside world intrude. Find a nice, quiet spot where you can practice yoga without being disturbed. Switch off your phone and tell friends not to call.

Listen to your body.

This is to reiterate what I mentioned in Step 2. Yoga is not a contest. Perform each posture only up to the extent that you feel comfortable. If you feel the slightest discomfort or pain, you are probably doing something wrong. Barring a few sore muscles during the initial days, yoga should not be painful at all.

Breathe.

If you are learning yoga through a DVD or online video course, this is one of the most overlooked aspects of yoga. You have to breathe properly when practicing yoga. Breath is one of the pillars of yoga, and all yoga exercises are designed around slow and deep breathing. For most yoga poses you have to inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Also feel your diaphragm rise and lower with every breath.

Health Tips and Technics

Health and Fitness has now become one of the major concerns. Earlier humans used to hunt for their living, due to which their body had to undergo a lot of physical exercise. This made life active and alert. Now, life has become more simple and easy. Everything we need is just a phone call away. This easy life has restricted humans to do that bit of physical exercise which is required to keep the body fit and healthy. We get instant, spicy and variety of food which lose their nutrition during the process.

How do we ensure that we have all that we need to have a healthy living? This is a big question among everyone. We need proper nutrition and a fit and healthy body. Good Health is all that one craves for. Becoming healthier and fitter though not very difficult needs dedicated efforts.

Nutrition and Health Diet

The basic foundation for a healthy individual starts from his foetal stage with proper and healthy nutrition derived from his or her mother. Hence, a pregnant woman's diet stands atop all diets.

Your food shall be your medicine. Ayurveda has postulated the role of food and especially nutritive foods for maintaining health as well as cure of diseases. Nutrients are necessary for the proper functioning of mental, physical, metabolic, chemical and hormonal activities. The body is like a machine that will repair and rebuild itself if proper nutrition is provided by way of food.

Sumptous nutrition is available in fruits and vegetables. Fruits have the capacity to give all that a body needs. How to consume? What to consume? Which fruit helps in which way? The answers to these questions can be found in our Nutrition and Healthy Diet Section

Exercise and Fitness

Simple fitness exercises can help to have a fitter and healthy life. Stretching exercises can help in many ways in mainting a fitter body. Weight loss can be achieved by following simple effortless regular exercises. Medical breakthroughs can happen by regular meditation and exercising. Yoga and other workouts which can be performed easily are available in this website to keep you fit and healthy.

Health and Fitness can make all that difference in one's life. Healthy living is all that one needs, and to achieve that we picked up the best of the articles from reliable sources and have presented here in an organized manner. You might not be able to spend your valuable time on complicated medications and diet controls, but, you can find articles to help you have a better living using simple and easy technics.

Ayurveda, a science in vogue practiced since centuries, uses a wide variety of plants, animal origin substances, mineral and metallic substances to rebalance the diseased condition in the sick. A few tips on simple treatment of life style diseases have been carefully picked for the visitors of this website. These tips can help reduce or control diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.

Relieve Stress through Yoga and Visualization

In the past decade, the yoga craze has been sweeping the western world. What previously was seen as being odd or eastern superstition has now become a western staple.
Yoga can strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and help you sleep better. But perhaps the most useful effect of yoga is its ability to decrease stress; something we seem to have more and more of every day. If it seems the world is piling up on you and you just need a break, why not finally give in to the craze and try some yoga and visualization exercises? They’ll not only reduce your stress level, they can also help you live a longer, healthier life.
While there are many different kinds of yoga, most revolve around the same principles. What we refer to as yoga now is a method of balancing the systems of your body using poses and deep breathing methods. These methods help stretch muscles, massage internal organs, and leave your mind in a peaceful state. The full concept of yoga also includes balancing diet and other aspects of your life.
You should choose a method of yoga based on what classes and books are available to you, your dedication to yoga, and your physical skill level. You should research all options available to you in order to find the best fit.
So why is yoga so good at relieving stress? First, in addition to the poses and breathing, it emphasizes a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Living this way will help you be healthier with properly functioning systems. If you’re not lacking in various nutrients, your will function better, feel more energized, and be less stressed. Yoga also helps build stamina and strength which can help you cope better with the physical aspects of stress. It also helps to calm you physically and mentally. This helps to relieve the stress you may have built up through the day.
It also emphasizes proper breathing methods. Generally we take short shallow breaths. The long deep breaths used in yoga promote relaxation by changing the carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Lastly, yoga can help promote a full, restful night’s sleep. Getting enough sleep is very important in helping the body and mind heal. This leaves you ready to cope better with stressors the next day.
Adding visualization to your yoga exercises can make them even more relaxing and more effective at relieving stress. The concept is to visualize images that will guide your mood. If you think of sad things during your visualizations, you’ll become sadder. This also means that if your mind wanders to work and other stressors, you’ll become more stressed. By teaching yourself to concentrate on peaceful and relaxing images, you will help relive even more stress from your body.
While they may take time, practice, and patience to master; yoga and visualization techniques can be great tools to help you relax, unwind, sleep better, and stay healthy and happy.

Abs Yoga Workout for Beginners

Yoga Headstands for Better Health

It is very rare that we are able to see the world upside down, and regularly viewing the world from this angle can bring a variety of amazing benefits to our life.

Headstand and Yoga for Skin Care

Turning ourselves upside down is not only an amazing practice for health...but for beauty. A headstand can reduce facial wrinkles, and if practiced regularly, is a natural 'face-lift'. This is because it reverses the effects of gravity and allows the skin to rest in the other direction.

Furthermore, yoga for skin care increases the circulation to the face, which brings much needed nutrients and oxygen to rejuvenate and remove wrinkle causing toxins. The result is smoother, clearer, brighter & glowing skin.

Thicker Hair, Fewer Grays

Headstand can actually convert gray hair back to its natural color! It will certainly delay the onset of gray hair. This is due to the increase in blood supply and nutrients to the hair follicles in the scalp.

Balding can also be prevented or slowed, and thicker, healthier hair is produced.

Balanced Hormones and Endocrine System

Headstand stimulates and provides refreshed blood to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. The health and strength of these glands are absolutely vital to our wellbeing, as they are the master glands and regulate the functioning of all the other glands in the body including the sexual hormones (better sex!), the thyroid, pineal, and the adrenals.

The powerful stress releasing effects of the headstand (you can't really be depressed if you're standing on your head!) further rebalance the adrenal glands so physical and emotional health is improved.

Better Circulation

Besides the positive effects of yoga for skin care, the improved circulation of headstands exercise the heart and encourage venous return. Because the heart constantly has to pump blood upward to the brain, the headstand gives the heart a rest and reduces heart strain.

Increased Brain Function

Headstand soaks the brain cells with fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients. This increases your thinking power, clarity, memory, concentration, and the sensory faculties. Brain tissues do not degeneration with regular practice.

Balanced Nervous System

Research has shown that an ischemic stroke never results for those who consistently do headstand! (If nothing else, that will get me on my head)

It can also prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases of the nervous system. Senile changes in brain are prevented. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and depression. It is a centering, calming and soothing pose.

A Healthy Lymphatic System

Headstand encourages the drainage of lymphatic fluid so the whole body is regularly detoxified.

Strong Immune System

Recently, I blogged about how much healthier I have been since regularly practicing yoga. Headstands are one of the postures proven to strengthen your immune system.

Respiratory System

Headstands in yoga encourage deep breathing and create healthier lung issue.

Digestive System

Standing on our heads tones and cleans digestive organs. It cleanses congested blood and toxins from them. Fresh warm blood invigorates the cells and can help people overcome problems of the liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and reproductive system.

Musculo skeletal system

Headstand strengthens the spine, neck, shoulders and arms. The muscular system of the abdomen and legs are toned.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Walters